If there is one thing I’ve learned this year, it is that the students at the University of Mississippi are fighters. We don’t sit down, we don’t back down and we certainly don’t give up when we face challenges.
Perhaps in no other scenario has our resilience been on full display than in the Student Activity Fee (SAF) shakeup — a legal and political fiasco that threw every Registered Student Organization (RSO) on campus for a loop as a result of Mississippi House Bill 1193.
A simple executive signature by Gov. Tate Reeves sent a simple message to students: “You are on your own.” HB 1193, a bill signed into law by Reeves in April 2025, prohibited universities and other state institutions from supporting or operating any organization that advances diversity, equity or inclusion.
While not explicitly prohibiting the use of state funds to support student organizations, the broad language of the bill suggested potential legal exposure for the current SAF program.
This was a risk that no Mississippi university was willing to take.
Prior to HB 1193, RSOs at UM were funded through the SAF, a fund made up of fees assessed to all students at a rate of two dollars per credit hour. The Associated Student Body, specifically the treasury department, managed and distributed funds to RSOs.
Since the SAF was considered a form of state funding in an opinion authored by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the university would be on the hook for any legal liabilities if it were found to “support” any organization covered by HB 1193’s broad definition of DEI.
The danger, then, lies in the ambiguity of consequence.
U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate initially issued a temporary restraining order on the bill in July 2025 and upgraded it to a preliminary injunction in August 2025, effectively countering specific parts of the bill while the lawsuit is in progress.
There is no doubt that this situation has caused a great deal of stress for our RSOs. On the bright side, the determination of student leaders — even when funding falls short — has shone through.
In a strong show of resilience, the Society of Women Engineers raised $20,000 to send its members to their national conference. In the face of a sudden funding crisis, this RSO demonstrated its capability to fight for something worthwhile. That is inspiring.
While student organizations found alternatives to the SAF, they did not do so alone. ASB worked diligently to find a solution.
ASB President Jack Jones announced a remedy in the form of a new funding scheme. Until the legal web is untangled, the Student Activity Fee will be used to cover minor operational funding, with RSOs able to request certain events to be hosted by the university.
While the autonomy of RSOs in planning events is limited, the generosity of the University in stepping up when possible tells us one thing: they are on the students’ side.
While not the most desirable outcome, it is a functional compromise that is certainly laudable.
In the meantime, HB 1193 remains blocked by Wingate’s injunction in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, citing potential first amendment concerns.
While UM may be tangled in a complex cultural war clouded by legal jargon and state politics, the ability of our student body to adapt and overcome is something to celebrate.
The funding formula in place now may not trump the previous plan, but it is good — because it represents the resilience of our students.
Jose Brevil Jr. is a sophomore Public Policy Leadership and economics major from Cleveland, Miss.
